The West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families administers a comprehensive array of programs aimed at promoting the behavioral health of children and youth throughout the state. These initiatives encompass primary prevention, early intervention, and individualized services addressing mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Key Programs and Services #
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Expanded School Mental Health (ESMH): In partnership with the West Virginia Department of Education, ESMH provides a continuum of behavioral health services—including prevention, early intervention, and treatment—in select schools in Cabell, Clay, and Harrison counties.
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Project AWARE: This initiative supports comprehensive plans to decrease youth violence and promote healthy development among school-aged children.
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First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Program – Quiet Minds: A collaborative, recovery-oriented approach for youth ages 14–30 experiencing their first episode of psychosis, aiming to reduce disruptions to their functioning and psychosocial development.
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Regional Youth Service Centers (RYSCs): These centers coordinate community-based mental health services for youth and young adults ages 12–25, providing substance use treatment, early detection, recovery support services, and other mental health treatments.
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Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) Initiative: Ensures access to coordinated, comprehensive behavioral healthcare, serving individuals regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence, or age, including developmentally appropriate care for children and youth.
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Children’s Mental Health Wraparound Services: Provides resources to help children ages 0–21 with a mental health diagnosis or an intellectual or developmental disability combined with a serious behavioral health concern, assisting them and their families in planning and receiving necessary support while remaining in their homes and communities.
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Children’s Crisis and Referral Line: A 24/7 statewide service that links families with Mobile Crisis Response and Stabilization Teams or other community-based services, including WV Wraparound, for children, youth, and young adults in emotional distress or with a serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness.
